Shared Beat applications for scholarship are received by July 1st each year. The applications are reviewed, and the applicants are interviewed in late July. Scholarship awardees are notified by September 15th of each year.Each student is required to execute a Scholarship Agreement which states the dollar amount of their financial award along with the conditions for the scholarship to remain in place.In addition to working with the Shared Beat volunteers at the February and July medical clinics in Guatemala City, Shared Beat has started to focus on challenging the students that graduate to “pay it forward”. Shared Beat believes there are numerous ways for a graduate to help their communities or help scholarship students in the program.One example of paying it forward is Ruth Guerra. Ruth graduated with a nursing technician degree is 2017 with help from Shared Beat. She wanted to find a way to help the surrounding communities where she grew up. Ruth is currently working as the Health Coordinator for several schools in these communities and represents Shared Beat’s “Healthy Together” program. Ruth’s position oversees and supports the health education of approximately 875 students within 5 rural community schools. In addition, Ruth is now able to pay for herself to go back to college to complete the professional nursing degree, which is like an RN in the U.S.Shared Beat would like to say a special THANK YOU to all the generous supporters of the Scholarship Program who share their hearts with the students! You are making a difference!

In 2008, Shared Beat established Healthcare Scholarships to assist students living in the Guatemala City dump area interested in pursuing healthcare careers.

Shared Beat’s mission is to help secure healthy futures for our students in the communities we serve through education, prevention and empowerment. The scholarship program helps students continue their education to the secondary (career-oriented high school) and the university level. From 2008 to present, the number of student scholarships awarded has grown from two to twelve. The annual budget for these scholarships has increased from $2,000 to $50,000. For 2020, we received applications for 11 returning students and 26 new students. Unfortunately, due to limited funds, we were only able to add one new student to the program for 2020. Shared Beat continuously looks for donors and grants to allow the program to increase the number of scholarships awarded.

Since inception, the Scholarship Program has graduated ten students and is currently supporting eleven students.